Houston ordinance would require landlords to provide working A/C

HOUSTON – Houston City Council Member Alejandra Salinas on Monday introduced a “Right to Air Conditioning” ordinance that would require rental properties to provide and maintain operable air conditioning in habitable spaces. The proposal would eliminate a loophole in the city’s Building Standards Code that allows landlords to forgo air conditioning if window screens are provided.

While most landlords already provide air conditioning, 2023 U.S. Census data show thousands of renters in the Houston area live in units without any air conditioning, according to Salinas’ office. As extreme heat becomes more frequent, renters without adequate cooling face potentially dangerous conditions and elevated health risks, particularly seniors, young children and people with disabilities.

“In a Houston summer, working A/C cannot continue to be a luxury,” Salinas said. “Extreme heat disproportionately impacts Black and Latino neighborhoods, and no tenant should be left without reliable cooling. This ordinance makes working air conditioning a basic health and safety standard because every Houston renter deserves a safe place to live.”

Under the proposal, landlords could comply using central air, window units, portable units or other refrigerated air equipment. The ordinance would not require older buildings to retrofit for central air.

The measure is co-sponsored by Council Members Sallie Alcorn, Mario Castillo and Edward Pollard and is supported by the Houston Apartment Association. It is also backed by community organizations including Texas Housers, the Houston Food Bank and the Houston Tenants Union.

Supporters pointed to an affordability review by the Austin Housing Department that found a similar air conditioning requirement would have a neutral impact on affordable housing and development costs. They also said no documented rent increases have been tied to comparable requirements adopted in Dallas, Denton or Austin.

Between 2019 and 2023, Harris County Public Health reported more than 7,600 cases of heat-related illness and found indoor areas without air conditioning significantly increased the risk of heat-related health issues, according to the council member’s office. Houston Health Department data show heat waves have driven increases in 911 calls and hospitalizations.